News

The Environment and Health Fund, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, has published Environmental Health in Israel 2014. The Report includes chapters on topics such air and water quality, pesticides and radiation. Its conclusions were among the topics discussed by over 200 attendees at the annual EHF Conference, held in December. A compilation of abstracts of EHF funded research, Grants & Fellowships is available online.

Yad Hanadiv congratulates the recipients of the 2015 Michael Bruno Memorial Awards. They are: Professors Dorit Aharonov, Computer Science, The Hebrew University; Ofer Aharony, Physics, Weizmann Institute; and Ronit Ricci, Indonesia Studies, The Hebrew University. The Awards, established by Yad Hanadiv in 1999 to recognize mid-career Israeli scholars and scientists, whose achievements suggest promise of future breakthroughs, have been administered by the Israel Institute for Advanced Studies (IIAS) at The Hebrew University since 2012. The winners will receive their Prizes in a ceremony which will take place on 15 January 2015 at the Israel Institute for Advanced Studies.

The 12th Seminar of Nekudat Hen which promotes conservation-oriented agricultural land use, planning and practice will be held on 29 October 2014 at the Volcani Center at Beit Dagan. Schedule and registration [Hebrew].

In partnership with the organisations that created the Ocean Health Index (OHI) – a global standard for measuring the condition of marine ecosystems based on key ecological, social and economic benefits that a healthy ocean provides – Hamaarag has compiled precise data about Israel’s marine environment in the Mediterranean Sea. It has provided a more accurate and rigorous score than the OHI’s. The assessment will serve as a tool for decision makers regarding policy affecting the health of the Mediterranean Sea as well as for Yad Hanadiv's strategic initiative on marine conservation. The Index will be actively disseminated in the coming months.

The Global Forum of the National Library of Israel will have its first meeting on 20-21 October 2014. The Forum was established as part of the Library Renewal process and its aim is to strengthen the ties between the 'People of the Book' and their cultural treasures.

Hamaarag – Israel’s National Ecosystem Assessment Program has published the 2014 Report on the State of Nature [Hebrew] which focuses on aquatic habitats. The report reveals that pollution, construction and ourist activity are posing a significant danger to aquatic habitats in Israel, as well as to the unique species of wildlife that inhabit them.

In keeping with worldwide trends to make academic material freely available online, the Open University has launched a new, user-friendly website for its Peer project. The site offers a selection of Open University academic texts in Hebrew, Arabic, Russian and English at no cost to users. Access the new site here: http://openbooks.openu.ac.il/.